The frauds that target bettors are old, effective and easy to spot once named. The eight we see most, how each works and the one habit that defeats most of them.
A copy of a known operator, pixel for pixel, on a domain one character different or on a domain the real operator never used. Deposits work; withdrawals do not. Defence: type the address yourself or use a link from a source you trust; check the domain against the licence register as in our licence guide; be suspicious of a site reached from an advertisement.
Messages, usually on Telegram or social media, offering the result of a fixed match for a fee, with screenshots of past wins. The seller sends different predictions to different buyers; whichever group wins is asked to pay more for the next one. Match-fixing exists, but its beneficiaries bet quietly and sell nothing. Defence: the logic. Anyone who knew a result would not need your 200.
Not always a scam, but often one. A record without odds, without a verifiable history and without losing months is a marketing document. Legitimate tipsters publish every pick with the price at the time and the closing line; the rest publish wins. Defence: ask for the full record and the yield, and compare the picks against closing prices for a month before paying.
Codes in comment sections and videos that promise free money, leading to a registration page that harvests personal details or to a site that will never pay. Defence: promo codes live on the operator’s site and on review sites you trust, with terms attached.
An email or a text, styled like the operator, saying the account is locked and asking you to log in or to send documents. The link leads to a copy of the login page. Defence: never follow a link in a message; open the site yourself and check the account there. Operators do not ask for passwords or documents by email.
Someone claiming to work for the operator, offering a private bonus, a faster withdrawal or a recovery of a lost balance, in exchange for a fee or a login. Operators do not contact customers on messaging apps. Defence: end the conversation.
Apps on third-party stores, or APK files from links in messages, that copy an operator’s app and capture logins. Defence: download only from the operator’s own site or the official store, and only the app the operator links to.
Software that promises risk-free profit, sold for a subscription. Real arbitrage exists and leads to limited accounts; guaranteed profit does not. Defence: the same logic as the fixed match.
Fixing exists; sellers of fixed matches are frauds.
The domain differs from the register entry; the terms name a company that does not match; withdrawals never arrive.
Rarely; report it to the police and, if a card was used, to the bank; the bank may refund fraud, not gambling.